Condensation lubrciator



U Sept. 21

woos CONDENSA TION LUBRICATOR Filed llarch 26, 1947 fie].

Paul W008 Patented Sept. 21, 1954 CONDENSATION LUBRICATOR Paul Woog, Paris, France, assignor to Compagnie Francaise de Raffinage (Socit Anonyme),

Paris, France Application March 26, 1947, Serial No. 737,383

1 In France October 20, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires October 20, 1963 3 Claims. 1

All types of condensation lubricators include nozzles forming droppers through which the oil is adapted to flow the drops of oil by reason of their low specific weight fioat above the water in the visible level chamber into which the nozzle considered opens.

Such nozzles have always been executed in brass or in bronze and their general shape is always frusto-conical.

In the case of mineral oils, the difference between the specific weights of water and oil is large enough for the system to operate in a satisfactory manner. On the contrary in the case of substitute oils which are generally obtained synthetically, the difierence in specific weight may not be large enough. In this case, the drops of oil increase in size and have a tendency to collapse over the nozzle under the action of their weight, whereby their length of adherence is increased at the limit between the solid and liquid phases; the output is irregular and the fouling rapid.

The present invention covers improvements corresponding to novel phenomena which are applicable singly or in combination.

These improvements are as follows:

An increase in the difference in specific weight between the oil considered and water is used. To this purpose, it is possible to dissolve in the water substances increasing its specific weight such as lead acetate, sodium chloride and the like.

A change of the frustro-conical shape of the nozzle into a cylindrical shape with very thin walls and cutting edges, is made, the diameter of the channel being advantageously reduced to between 0.6 and 0.8 mm.

I use a; metal having less chemical aflinity for oil than brass or bronze; preference is given to nickel and steel which may be alloyed or not alloyed. Generally speaking it is preferable to use metals capable of assuming a fine polish or else they should be protected by a coat of metal capable of receiving a fine polish, the coat being made, for example, of chromium.

Or I may cover the metal with a protective coating of a hard plastic or resin such as the phenol formaldehyd resin known as Bakelite or the like, so as to reduce the efiects of the afiinity of the metal for the oil.

Additionally, I may reduce the surface tension of the water by adding, for example, substances such as phosphoric acid, soda, long chain aliphatic alcohols and water soluble salts. With such solutions, it is necessary to take care that the substance added to the water is not carried 2 along and remains in the visible level or output chamber. It is possible for instance to provide a diaphragm at the upper part of said chamber so as to allow the formation of a protective layer of oil at the top of said chamber.

Further, I may increase the surface tension of the oil by adding thereto negative surface active substances, such as magnesium oleate.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a full scale view in vertical section of a condensation lubricator embodying the invention, particularly as applied to lubrication of locomotive cylinders.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of a nozzle in axial section.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates the body of the apparatus, 2 the vapor inlet, and 3 the outlet passage for the oil bearing vapor, leading to the cylinders, for example, of a steam engine. 4 indicates the nozzle mounted on the oil feed pipe 5. A visible feed chamber 6 permits observation from the exterior through a window I of the drops of oil 8 which lift themselves in the liquid mass formed in feed chamber by the condensation of the vapor. All this is known in itself.

According to the invention, the nozzle 4 has a cylindrical form, a thin wall of small diameter,

and it terminates in its upper part in a tapered lip with a sharp edge 9. This nozzle is preferably made of steel which has less affinity for the oil than brass or bronze, and preferably chrome steel or stainless steel treated in a stearic acid bath to reduce still farther the aflinity of the metal for oil. At the exit from the feed chamber 6 is mounted a diaphragm Ill allowing the drops of oil to pass on through an opening II. This diaphragm serves the purpose of retaining in the chamber 6 the substance which is added to the water according to the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A method of lubricating a steam cylinder with oil passing through a condensation lubricator having a nozzle which causes the oil to be fed to the interior of the lubricator in drops, which comprises causing the oil leaving said nozzle to pass through an aqueous solution of lead acetate.

2. A condensation lubricator comprising a hollow casing having an inlet and an outlet for a liquid lubricant, said inlet including a nozzle through which said lubricant flows to the interior of said casing, said nozzle having a small opening to cause said lubricant to flow dropwise into said casing, a disphragm positioned into the upper portion of said casing, said diaphragm having a central hole therein aligned with the discharge end of said nozzle, and a body of liquid within said casing through which droplets of such liquid lubricant rise to said outlet, said liquid being an aqueous solution immiscible with said lubricant and having a density which is not only substantially greater than that of said lubricant but is also greater than the density of water.

3. A method of lubricating a steam cylinder with oil passing through a condensation lubrieator having a nozzle which causes the oil to be fed to the interior of the lubricator in drops, which comprises causing oil which is admixed with magnesium oleate to leave said nozzle and to pass through a body of an aqueous solution which is immiscible with oil and which has a 4 density which is not only substantially greater than the oil but is greater than water.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 216,531 Phillips June 17, 1879 223,092 1 Barclay Dec. 30, 1879 1,001,559 Ryan Aug. 22, 1911 1,699,297 Ledbetter Jan. '15, 1929 1,940,684 Kniskern Dec. 26, 1933 2,103,733 Powers Dec. 28, 1937 2,216,234 Emig Oct. 1, 1940 2,326,596 Zimmer et al Aug. 10, 1943 2,483,363 De Villiers Sept. 27, 1949 

